Brayton: Plans revealed for housing development on 24 acres of Yorkshire farmland
Plans are being drawn up for another large housing development on farmland on the edge of Brayton, near Selby, despite residents’ concerns about the impact of more homes on the village.
Bellway Strategic Land is preparing an outline planning application for 24 acres of land off Mill Lane, on the south-eastern edge of the village.
The developer has not specified how many homes it wants to build in documents submitted to North Yorkshire Council.
They also specifically say it is not yet possible to establish whether the development would exceed 150 homes.
The developer has asked the council if its needs to submit an environmental impact assessment with any future planning application.
The site consists of two arable fields separated by an existing hedgerow. It lies between Mill Lane and the A63, close to Brayton Barff.
Initial plans show housing arranged around a new internal road network, along with areas of public open space and green infrastructure.
Two vehicle accesses would be created from Mill Lane, while the developer proposes reducing the speed limit along the road to 30mph and creating a new three-metre-wide footway connecting with the existing pavement on Doncaster Road.
An existing public right of way crossing the site would be retained and improved.
The development would also include play facilities, pedestrian routes and landscaping, with existing hedgerows and mature trees retained and strengthened where possible.
Documents indicate that traffic on Mill Lane could rise substantially if the scheme and other proposed developments go ahead.
Current flows of 1,119 vehicles are forecast to increase to 3,843 when existing committed schemes and the Bellway proposals are included – an increase of 243 per cent.
However, the developer’s transport assessment concludes that the Mill Lane/Doncaster Road junction would continue to operate within capacity.
Environmental work carried out ahead of the application has also considered issues including flooding, noise, ecology and landscape impact.
The developer says the scheme could achieve a biodiversity net gain of about 47 per cent for area habitats and 40 per cent for hedgerows.
Landscape consultants acknowledge the development could have a “major/moderate adverse” visual impact on people using the public footpath through the site and Mill Lane.
However, they argue effects further away would be limited by existing vegetation, surrounding development and the relatively flat landscape.
Bellway’s consultants argue a full environmental impact assessment is not required.
Last month, plans to build more than 200 homes on a nearby site off Mill Lane were put on hold after the developer wanted to “look again” at the scheme.
Nearly 160 objections have been made to the application made by Redrow Homes and David Harry Campey.
Concerns raised by residents include increased traffic, pressure on schools and GP services, loss of greenfield land, drainage issues, impact on wildlife and fears the development would harm the rural character of Brayton.